High-definition Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging of breast tissue

Breast cancer diagnosis relies on staining serial sections of a biopsy in a process that can be time intensive and costly. Fourier transform infrared imaging (FT-IR) is a non-destructive, label-free chemical imaging technique that uses the vibrational structure of the biological molecules of the sample to provide contrast for images at any absorption peak in the mid-infrared. The full potential of spectroscopic imaging has been limited by the spatial resolution provided by most commercial instruments. By increasing the magnification and numerical aperture of the microscope, image pixel sizes on the order of 1.1 micron can be achieved, allowing HD FT-IR spectroscopic imaging to provide high quality images that could aid in histopathology, diagnosis, and studies of breast cancer progression.